General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Strongly alkaline (8.5 – 9.0)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5b -26.1 °C (-15 °F) to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
Plant Height: 6 to 8 feet - can grow 20 feet
Plant Spread: 3 to 6 feet (.9-1.2 m)
Leaves: Deciduous
Fruit: Showy
Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Flower Color: Purple
Bloom Size: 2"-3"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Uses: Groundcover
Medicinal Herb
Will Naturalize
Edible Parts: Fruit
Eating Methods: Raw
Cooked
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Birds
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Provide light
Stratify seeds
Scarify seeds: scratch seed lightly, soak in warm water
Needs specific temperature
Days to germinate: 30 to 90
Depth to plant seed: shallow; half inch
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Layering
Pollinators: Bees
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Maypop
  • Wild Passion Flower
  • Purple Passion Flower
  • Passion Vine

Photo Gallery

Date: 2019-08-13
Location: Opp, AL  Z8b
Date: 2022-06-27
Location: Parchur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date: 2020-10-16
Location: Fielder House Butterfly garden Arlington, Texas.
Date: Summer 2010
Close up of flower.
Location: My garden
Date: 2022-09-04
Location: Louis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia
Date: 2021-09-12

Date: 2019-08-13
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-08-24
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-08-31
Location: Largo, FL
Date: 2023-02-01
A Gulf Fritillary caterpillar surrounded by a new growth of leave
Location: South Carolina
Date: 2023-07-03

Date: 2019-08-13
Location: My garden
Date: 2020-04-22
Host plant for the Gulf Frittilary and the Zebra Longwing butterf
Location: Parchur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date: 2020-09-02
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2013-04-17
Location: my deck, Fair Lawn NJ
Date: 2023-07-23
Location: Northeastern, Texas
Date: July 2010
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-08-31
Host plant for gulf fritillary butterfly caterpillars.
Location: Christmas, FL
Date: 2016-06-04
Orlando Wetlands Park
Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2014-07-15
Location: Beautiful Tennessee, Cade's Cove, Smokey Mountains
Date: 2018-08-25
Location: IL
Date: 2016-08-30
Location: IL
Date: 2016-08-30
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House grounds)
Date: August 20, 2022
Passionfruit #306; RAB page 733, 131-1-1; AG page 194, 44-1-22, "
Location: Grapevine, TX
Date: 2022-05-28
Photo by karmatree
Location: Gause, Texas
Date: 2020-09-15
Growing wild all over our rural property in Central TX.
Location: Parchur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date: 2020-09-02
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-08-24

Date: 2008-08-03
Photo by Oliver P. Quillia
Location: Flowery Branch, GA
Date: 2017-07-08
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Bethesda road)
Date: June 8, 2023
One of my favorite wild plants, I 1st encountered this plant as a
Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2023-08-18
Location: Beautiful Tennessee, Cade's Cove, Smokey Mountains
Date: 2018-08-25
Location: IL
Date: 2016-08-29
Location: Gause, Texas
Date: 2019-07-09
Growing wild multiple places on our rural property Central TX.
Location: my Zone 7b garden in North Georgia Mountains
Date: 2023-07-07
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2021-09-05
Location: Opp, AL  Z8b
Date: 2022-06-27
Location: McKethan Lake Park - Hernando County, Florida
Date: 22-APR-2006
Photo courtesy of Brian Ahern
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2020-06-18
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-07-11
Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2022-06-28
Young plant.

Date: c. 1816
illustration by Syd. Edwards from 'The Botanical Register', 1816
Location: Gause, Texas
Date: 2019-07-09
Growing wild on our rural property fences and trees.
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-06-08
Location: Burleson, Tx.
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-06-09

Not just for butterflies ;)
Location: Burleson, Tx.
Gulf Fritillary cat on Incarnata stem
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-08-31
Gulf Fritillary Cocoon - also eggs on leaf
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House grounds)
Date: August 20, 2022
Passionfruit #306; RAB page 733, 131-1-1; AG page 194, 44-1-22, "
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House grounds)
Date: September 10, 22
Passionfruit #305; RAB page 733, 131-1-1; AG page 194, 44-1-22, "
Location: Florida
Date: Fall 2011
credit: E. Nielsen
Location: Grapevine, TX
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: Greensboro NC
Date: 2016-07-22
Another bumble bee getting drunk on Passion flower. It truly calm
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-02-20
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2022-10-09
Photo by SongofJoy
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2013-06-13
Location: Burleson, Tx.
Location: Burleson, Tx.
This is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
Photo by pinkiris
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2013-09-04
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-30
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2020-05-26
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Photo courtesy of Brushwood Nursery
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House grounds)
Date: August 13, 2022
Passionfruit #306; RAB page 733, 131-1-1; AG page 194, 44-1-22, "
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House grounds)
Date: August 13, 2022
Passionfruit #306; RAB page 733, 131-1-1; AG page 194, 44-1-22, "
Location: Greensboro NC
Date: 2016-09-02
Has anyone noticed the phenomenon of bees drunk on Passion flower
Location: DISCLAIMER: This is an old photo from an old phone. I don't know why, but the photos look "deep fried". sorry about that.
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2013-06-02
Location: Northeastern Texas
Date: May 3, 2011
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-06-08
Location: Mercer Botanical Garden  Houston, Tx
Date: 2014-05-19
Location: all photos from my gardens
Date: 2018-06-27
Location: Parchur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date: 2020-09-02
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-09 
In my neighbor's yard.
Location: Medina Co., Texas
Date: June 10, 2012
Maypop bloom
Location: indoors Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2024-03-10
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata).
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-09-16
Otherwise known as a "Maypop" fruit
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2012-04-19
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2012-04-19
young plant - entire
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-05-19

Photo courtesy of Brushwood Nursery
Location: zone 8 North Central, Fl.
Date: 2016-08-22
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-08-07
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2011-07-17
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-05-28
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2012-05-17
bud
Location: My garden, Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens in South Amana, IA
Date: 2017-09-21
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-11-13
young transplants
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2012-04-19
notice the tendrils it will use to cling with
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2013-09-04
Host plant for gulf fritillary butterfly caterpillars.
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-05-19
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2015-05-19
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image Image Image Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by wildflowers (North East Texas - Zone 7b) on Dec 4, 2011 6:06 PM concerning plant:
    Passiflora incarnata is native to Texas as well as Midwestern and Southeastern states. It’s an exception to most passifloras, being deciduous, it can survive winter freezes and comes back from its roots. Commonly called Maypops. They are a host plant for caterpillars of the gulf fritillary butterfly. Mature fritallaries deposit pinhead sized orange eggs on the leaves. Passionflower is both an edible and medicinal plant.
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Dec 13, 2011 1:44 PM concerning plant:
    Passionflower is a climber/sprawler utilizing tendrils. Single flowers arise from stalks from axils of leaves up to 3" across w/ several petals and a purple fringe, 5 dropping stamens around the pistil which displays 3 - 4 curved stigmas.
    Fruit (edible) oval, smooth, couple inches long is yellow when ripe. Fruit has lot of seeds w/ gelatinous coverings.
    Wildflower in south half of Illinois that prefers habitat at edge of woods, ditch banks, fencerows, roadsides, and along railroads.
    Maypops designation resultant of practice of children stomping on the fruit to make it 'pop'; also, because the following season, it 'may pop' up anywhere (often emerges from kill-back to roots in different place) and is rather slow to make an appearance (a case of 'patience is the essence of growth').
    American Indians used root to treat boils, cuts, inflammation, and earaches. Tea made from plant used to soothe nerves.
    I've had good success w/ seeds.
  • Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Feb 17, 2013 9:49 AM concerning plant:
    Passiflora incarnata is also a native wildflower of Florida, found in disturbed sites, along roadsides and woodland margins throughout the state. Even though it is considered a tropical vine it can survive freezing winter temperatures with new shoots sprouting from the soil in spring. Growing to 15 feet, with large dark green deeply lobed leaves, this twining vine rambles along the ground and climbs up and over other vegetation. The Wild Passion Flower vine bears large, up to 3 to 4 inch wide lavender-purple flowers whose nectar attracts many butterflies; and this vine also serves as a host plant for the caterpillars of several butterfly species, including the Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwing.

    The fruit of Passiflora incarnata is a large green oval berry, up to 3" in length, which is edible once it ripens to the yellow color. This Passiflora got it's common name "Maypop" because when the ripe fruit falls off the vine and is stepped on, it makes a loud pop. Children have always had fun stomping the berries to make them "pop".
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Dec 7, 2011 2:04 PM concerning plant:
    Sometimes difficult to establish here. Once established, it flourishes and can spread rather quickly. It is fast-growing and one of the hardiest of the passionflowers.

    This plant is the State Wildflower of Tennessee.
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 27, 2014 9:23 PM concerning plant:
    Wild Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) produces unique lavender blossoms in midsummer to early fall. Native to eastern North America, it is the exclusive larval host plant for the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, and is a nonexclusive host plant for the Variegated Fritillary. Passiflora incarnata also attracts bees, and its edible fruit (maypops) attract birds. It also has been used in traditional herbal medicine, with continued interest in the anti-anxiety properties of its methanol extract.
  • Posted by StephGTx (Texas - Zone 8a) on Sep 18, 2011 6:08 PM concerning plant:
    I am very thankful to the wonderful friends who introduced me to this wonderful vine. I love the flowers, fruit, and best of all the butterfies.

    This plant is a Tx. Native and grows very well here with little care. It is a host plant for the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly.

    In the herbal realms it is used to help treat anxiety, back pain, insomnia, and IBS.
Plant Events from our members
aspenhill On September 19, 2015 Obtained plant
DG Sally (sallyg) - qty 1
Anndixon On August 11, 2018 Bloomed
antsinmypants On March 14, 2024 Miscellaneous Event
Transferred to ziplock. Placed on heat.
antsinmypants On March 12, 2024 Miscellaneous Event
Started pre-treatment @ 1:00 am. (2)
antsinmypants On August 6, 2022 Bloomed
antsinmypants On May 25, 2022 Plant emerged
1 seedling emerged. WS 2021.
antsinmypants On March 18, 2021 Seeds sown
WS - Jug 36
Mielikki On August 26, 2020 Obtained plant
based on estimated delivery date of 8/26/2020 - 9/17/2020
WebTucker On August 15, 2022 Obtained plant
Flowerlover6 On October 19, 2022 Seeds sown
» Post your own event for this plant

« Add a new plant to the database

« The Plants Database Front Page